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PARENT SUPPORT

NATIONAL

  • Funding for the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) ended in October 2013, but many of its products and webpages will be maintained and available through the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) -- a national repository of resources related to children with disabilities.
  • Ed100 is a free, self-paced online course that prepares you to make a difference in your school or school district. California's education system is complex and changing fast. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, or a community member, Ed100 helps you learn what you need to know to be informed, credible and ready for action. Each lesson takes about 5 minutes, in English or in Spanish.  There is a unit with lessons specifically related to instruction for children with special needs
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CALIFORNIA

  • The CDE's Parent Rights and Procedural Safeguards are documented in in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Chinese (Simplified), and Chinese (Traditional).
  • The EDGE is a publication of the California Department of Education's Special Education Division that informs parents, educators, and other service providers about special education topics, focusing on research-based practices, legislation, technical support, and current resources.  Published three times yearly.
  • Families whose infants or toddlers have a developmental delay or disability or an established risk condition with a high probability of resulting in a delay may be eligible to receive an "Early Start" in California. Teams of service coordinators, healthcare providers, early intervention specialists, therapists, and parent resource specialists evaluate and assess infants or toddlers and provide appropriate early intervention and family support services for young children from birth to three years of age.
  • USC Telehealth is a online professional counseling clinic under the USC School of Social Work. USC Telehealth is a free resource for parents, families, and caregivers of children and adults with special needs and/or developmental disabilities.  Tremendous stress is often experienced when caring for someone with special needs.  USC Telehealth uniquely helps families and caretakers better manage stress, develop better coping skills, develop tools for balancing the needs of the other children, and provide parents help with their other children that are struggling, acting out, and more. English and Spanish Flyers contain contact information to learn more or get started.

BAY AREA

  • Parents Helping Parents (PHP) provides services that are family-centered, i.e. focused on the family as the unit of support, not just the child.
  • While San Francisco's Support for Families of Children with Disabilities offers information, education, and parent-to-parent support free of charge to families of and professionals who work with children with any kind of disability or special healthcare need living in San Francisco, you can learn about events and information that are also open to families living in other parts of the Bay Area.

EAST BAY

  • Regional Center of the East Bay (RCEB) is a private, non-profit corporation providing services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities under contract with the California Department of Developmental Services.

ALAMEDA COUNTY

  • Access resources and support to families of children with disabilities specifically living in Alameda County through the Family Resource Navigators of Alameda County.
  • Help Me Grow Alameda County is a system that collaborates with agencies, families, and providers across the county to help ensure children ages birth-5 years reach their optimal development. For a resource directory and a calendar of events for families and children, visit AlamedaKids.org.
  • The Developmental Disabilities Planning and Advisory Council advocates for the right of people with developmental disabilities to be assisted in the fullest development of their mental, physical and spiritual potentials, and the right to community living in the least restrictive environment.
  • Learn about the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF).  DREDF, founded in 1979, is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities.

NORTH REGION SELPA

  • North Region SELPA Parent Handbook 
    The North Region SELPA prepared this handbook to help guide parents' understanding of and participation in the special education process. The handbook provides step-by-step guidance, beginning with referral and assessment up through the planning and implementation of your child’s instructional program. It includes a “big picture” of special education followed by a description of your rights and the rights of your child in relation to special education, then ends with both a summary and details about the procedural steps involved in the special education process.
  • Community Advisory Committe

DISTRICT-SPECIFIC.

  • Piedmonters for Resources, Advocacy, & Information in Special Education (PRAISE) is an organization whose mission is to promote awareness, understanding, and appreciation of learning differences among students, educators, administrators, parents, and the community. In its continuing effort to strengthen its partnership with Piedmont USD over the last few years, PRAISE has donated $67,000 in support of Piedmont USD Special Education.
  • The Alameda Special Education Parent Support Group (ASPEDPSG) supports families, builds the ASPEDPSG community, and promotes communication within Alameda. Quarterly meetings during the school year offer an opportunity to share resources, ask questions, and build community.